Another Photographer turned me on to this article and I thought I would share it and his comments with you guys. Feel free to pass it along.

“This past Saturday, after having a conversation with a potential client got me thinking about Fauxtographers (yes, Faux) and the perception that they bring to our industry. The potential client was looking for a wedding photographer and had hoped we would be able to fill that roll. As we were already booked for the wedding day, the caller was looking for advice on seeking a photographer for the special day. This person had been looking around and found a photographer who was willing to come photograph the event for $1000! and give her a CD with all the images! Sounds like a great deal right… Not really… All of our wedding packages come with a finished Custom Wedding Album. Why is this so important? Because we have complete control over the quality of the finished products that you as a client display in your home for years to come. After reading a post on a popular blog, I read every day, I had to post this article for everyone to see. It is a great way to stop a potential disaster from happening on your special day.” By: Joshua Mattox

Link Here: This was copied from the original writers website “Colorado Brides Magazine”, see link.

Fauxtographer (n.) — That cheap guy with a camera who produced a product that looks like it came from a disposable camera someone gave to the flower girl.

Here are 10 tips to avoiding that guy:

1. The price is dramatically less than other photographers you’ve seen. If the price seems too good to be true, it probably is. Professional cameras, lenses and editing software add up quickly, and a self-employed professional photographer also pays around 40 percent in income taxes.

2. There’s little to no file backup system. What’s worse than bad wedding photos? No wedding photos. If the photographer doesn’t sound 100 percent dedicated to keeping your photos safe, keep looking.

3. The fauxtographer doesn’t have business insurance. A professional photographer has insurance to cover you or your venue if something goes wrong.

4. There’s no contract. A contract protects both you and your photographer, and you can expect a real photographer to have a detailed contract, covering everything from when the balance is due to how soon you should expect your wedding photos after the big day.

5. She only has one camera. Bad things happen at weddings. A photographer can trip. A flower girl can mistake a lens for a toy. Every photographer experiences an equipment mishap at least once in her career, so if it happens at your wedding, you want to be sure she can carry on as though nothing happened.

6. A fauxtographer doesn’t have any lenses that are f/2.8 or “faster.” This part is a bit technical, but ask the photographer to list a few of their lenses. Lenses are described in ways like 85mm f/1.4 or 70-200 f/2.8. If you hear a lot of f/5.8 or f/4, she is likely photographing your wedding with hobby quality lenses, which can be bad. Indoor receptions and ceremonies are incredibly demanding on camera equipment, and you’ll want your photographer to use the very best.

7. You don’t see a complete wedding album. It’s easy for a fauxtographer to take the best pictures from several different weddings and put together a beautiful album. Be sure you’re able to see a whole wedding from start to finish.

8. Fauxtographers will give you every picture they snap. A professional takes pride in his work, and not every click of the shutter will result in a worthy image. Be wary of a photographer that doesn’t take pride in her work and reputation enough to toss the bad shots.

9. He hasn’t ever been to a workshop or photography conference. Professional photographers invest in attending workshops and conferences to keep their skills and business practices up to date.

10. She uses the built in flash on her camera. Fauxtographers show their true colors when the scene gets dark. A professional photographer uses an external flash (or two) to control the light, often directing her flash at a ceiling or wall to create a softer look. Fauxtographers use the built-in flash on their camera, and can’t capture the ambiance of your reception.

Chief Mark Jones at the Headland PD has some of the best looking B&W police units on the road, great working with these guys!
Scott K

$1000.00 Portrait Package Giveaway

Discount & Giveaway Information

We are giving away a free portrait package worth $1,000.00! This package can be used for family, senior, kids & couples portraits. (Not Applicable to Weddings)

To enter the drawing all you have to do is sign up on our Facebook Fan Page or our Twitter Page before next Friday the 7th at 5pm. If you register on both then you get two chances to win! Not only will you be registered for the give away but you will receive Social Media Discounts and Promotions not offered to the public!

Everyone that signs up will also get a discount on their next portrait session, details below!

Twitter Sign-up Discounts!

The Twitter Dollar for Dollar Discount
Sign up to our Twitter Page before Friday May the 7th and get The Twitter Dollar for Dollar Discount!

Book a $200 portrait package and get a $200.00 credit for prints.
Book a $300 portrait package and get a $300.00 credit for prints.
Book a $500 portrait package and get a $500.00 credit for prints.

No extra sitting fees! (Not Applicable to Weddings or Albums)

Facebook Sign-up Discounts!

Facebook 30% Discount
Sign up to our Facebook Page before Friday May the 7th and get The Facebook 30% Discount!
Receive 30% off all Portrait, Family, Senior, Kids Packages on our website. (Not Applicable to Weddings or Albums)

1) The contest winner must use their package before December the 30th, 2010 and coverage must be in the Dothan/Wiregrass area. Travel Fees apply for other locations.
2) All registered sign-ups on Facebook & Twitter must be from your account and the account must not be less than 2 weeks old. Please do not make up false emails or accounts. F. Scott Kennedy Photography & Kennedy International reserves the right to check that emails are legit and reserves the right to take off votes that are purely falsified for the purpose of winning.
3)You are allowed ONLY ONE ENTRY PER PERSON PER Facebook & Twitter Account. Two entry’s into the contest total if you sign up for each.
4)You must be a U.S. resident, age 18 or older to enter. Employees, photographers, partners and vendors of F. Scott Kennedy Photography and Kennedy International Studios and their immediate family members are not eligible to enter.
5)All prizes will be awarded. No substitutions including for cash are permitted.
6)Each entry (account sign-up) will be entered into our computer and given a random number based on Facebook or Twitter sign-up times. We will have a random number generator pick the winning numbers. All information during the drawing will be recorded for legitimacy and evidence.

Please enjoy the contest! The contest winner will be announced 5-7 days after the contest ends on our Blog, link below. By entering, an entrant agrees to release and hold harmless F. Scott Kennedy Photography and Kennedy International Studios and its respective partners, sponsors, subsidiaries and affiliated entities, directors, officers, employees, attorneys, agents, and representatives from any damage, injury, death, loss, claim, action, demand, or other liability (collectively, “Claims”) that may arise from their acceptance, possession and/or use of any prize or their participation in this promotion, or from any misuse or malfunction of any prize awarded, regardless of whether such Claims, or knowledge of the facts constituting such Claims, exist at the time of entry or arise at any time thereafter. Any person attempting to defraud or in any way tamper with this Giveaway will be ineligible for prizes and may be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. F. Scott Kennedy Photography and Kennedy International Studios reserves the right to modify these Official Contest Rules in any way or at any time. F. Scott Kennedy Photography and Kennedy International Studios reserves the right, in their sole discretion, to cancel or suspend this Giveaway should viruses, bugs or other causes beyond their control corrupt the administration, security or proper play of the Giveaway.

Happy Thanksgiving to all our friends, clients and loved ones! I wish everyone the best!